1/12- Venison steaks with Rosemary Red Potatoes and Roasted Vegetables

Thanks to an old friend of mine, I got to try my hand at venison for the first time!(Well, technically the second time, but I hardly think substituting ground venison for ground beef in Hamburger Helper in an empty house with a big cooler for a kitchen table just days before moving halfway across the country counts.) So my friend Matt um..... ahem.... aqcuired some venison and generously passed some along to us. He's a good guy to know. :)

I used this recipe as inspiration: Sirloin with Tarragon Garlic Sour Cream. Since I had Round Steaks to use, I just substituted the meat. I was told to cook the venison on fairly low heat so that it would cook slowly. I put the steaks in the pan, seasoned them with salt and pepper, and let them gently simmer until I could see the juices coming out the top of the steaks. Then I flipped them. Since it was wild game, I cooked it all the way through instead of leaving it a bit pink like I normally like steak. Once it was done, I took it off the heat and should have let it rest for a few minutes, but dinner was late so I just sliced it right up (against the grain). It was tender and juicy, and paired perfectly with the Sour Cream sauce! I served the steaks with my Rosemary Red Potatoes, and roasted vegetables.

The kids were a little hesitant aboutthe venison, but they tend to be that way with plain old steak too. Scott is deathly afraid of eating fat in meats, so he's weird about just about anything but chicken. Rebecca is teething so she's just weird all around right now. She devoured the sauce, though, mustard and all! Anyway, after a little convincing, and a little honey, they both ate the venison just fine.

Rosemary Red Potatoes:

3-5 red potatoes, depending on how many you're feeding
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp crushed rosemary

Cut up potatoes in a big dice- kind of like home fries. Heat oil in a pan, then add potatoes. Stir around to coat with oil. Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally so the potatoes can get brown and crispy on the edges. (I find that putting the lid on helps them cook faster.)

Roasted Vegetables:

1/2 small butternut squash
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow onion
2 carrots
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Preheat oven to 400*. Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Cut up vegetables and toss in dish to coat. Season with salt, pepper, tarragon, and garlic. Toss again. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with foil to speed up cooking if needed.